AURIAC BELL TOWER

"The so-called "tormente" bell towers are limited to the fringes of Mont Lozère. Built in hamlets without churches, these structures were used on various occasions: angelus, death knell, call for the municipal school, prevention against hailstorms, sound signal for the attention of people lost by the fog.
Today they are limited to death knells and fires. These bell towers are similar to the type of single bay wall bell tower with a round arch and are erected on a rectangular base thinned towards the top.
Some are equipped with a small compartment for the ringer, made in the thickness of the base. Sometimes equipped with a small niche where the statue of the Virgin or a saint is placed, they are all charged with an iron or stone cross.
These works are from the 19th century. A heritage ensemble linked to social and economic life can be associated with it.”
Information from the Mérimée database